Belle Sherwin (March 20, 1869 – July 5, 1955) was an American

Women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

activist.

Early life and education

Belle Sherwin was born March 20, 1869, in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

. She was the daughter of Henry Alden Sherwin, founder of the Sherwin-Williams Company and Frances Mary Smith. Sherwin was never married. Belle graduated

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

from

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

in 1890 with a Bachelor's degree. She briefly taught history at St. Margaret's school before going to

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

to study history for one year from 1894 to 1895. The

Western Reserve University Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia * Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that ...

granted her an honorary degree in 1930.

Denison University Denison University is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, United States. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. It was first called ...

gave her an honorary degree in 1931 and

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...

granted her one in 1937.Encyclopedia of Cleveland History:SHERWIN, BELLE
/ref>

Accomplishments

After completing her graduate work at Oxford University in 1894-1895, she returned to the U.S. where she taught 4 years in Boston at St. Margaret's and Miss Hersey's School for Girls. In 1899, she returned to Cleveland and began her long involvement with voluntary

civic Civic is something related to a city or municipality. It also can refer to multiple other things: Civic or CIVIC can also refer to: General *Honda Civic, a car produced by the Honda Motor Co. *Civics, the science of comparative government * Civic ...

and women's organizations. Belle returned to Cleveland in 1900 and became the first President of the Consumers League of Ohio. During the first years of this century Sherwin was most active with the Visiting Nurse Association of Cleveland, serving on its board until 1924, and with the Cleveland Consumers' League, which she had organized in 1900. In 1913 Sherwin was elected a trustee of Wellesley College, a position she served until 1943. After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Sherwin became the director of the Cleveland Welfare Federation. She was the vice-president of the

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

from 1921 to 1924 and president from 1924 to 1934, the position which earned her much of her reputation as a dedicated

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

leader.The News and Courier - Google News Archive Search
/ref> The administrative, structural, and educational procedures established during this period were largely attributed to her leadership. She was also on the board of the

National Urban League The National Urban League (NUL), formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan historic civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of economic and social justice for Afri ...

, founded in 1918. Sherwin died at home on July 5, 1955 and was interred at

Lake View Cemetery Lake View Cemetery is a Private property, privately owned, Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Rural cemetery, garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland, Ohio, East Cleveland ...

, Cleveland, Ohio.

References

External links

Belle Sherwin Papers.
http://www.radcliffe.edu/schles Schlesinger Library] , Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sherwin, Belle 1869 births 1955 deaths American women's rights activists Activists from Cleveland Alumni of the University of Oxford Burials at Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland Wellesley College alumni